THE PEPYS OF SOUTH DORSET. 35 



seems to have been a favourite, and was a frequent visitor at 

 Warmwell House.* The Rev. Charles Long, the stipendiary of 

 Charminster, was also a \isitor there ; he was no doubt a relative, 

 as he succeeded to the Rectory of Warmwell on the death of the 

 Rev. Cuthbert Bound. 



The 'squire appears to have dined between i and 2 o'clock. 

 Informal "dinings out" in the country in those days were 

 frequent. People "looked in" at their friends' houses, and if 

 they found them at home they dined with them, but if not they 

 went farther, at the risk of faring worse ; thus : " This day, 

 1 3th Mar., 1700, Mr. Read, of Morton, and his wife came here 

 to dine with me, but, not finding me at home, went to Mr* 

 Knight's, of Knighton." The Rev. Henry Knight was Rector of 

 West Knighton, and an excellent man he was. f 



* John Longe, in 1630, was Governor of the Company of Freemen of the 

 Borough of Dorchester under the Charter of Charles I. 2 Rutchins 1 Hist. Dorset, 

 Ed. 3, 338. 



t The Rev. G. W. Butler, the present Eector, informs me that when the 

 wooden floor of the chancel of West Knighton Church was, some time since, 

 removed, previous to tiles being laid down, a stone slab was found buried under 

 the Holy Table, bearing an inscription to Mr. Knight's memory. The slab was 

 then reinterred, by the builder employed, under the tile pavement. The following 

 is a copy of the inscription, which is interesting, especially as it refers to a very 

 early denunciation of the Slave trade. It is scarcely couched in classical Latin, 

 nor is the spelling perfect : 



H. K. 



Henricus Knight A.M. 

 Olim a Sacris & Secretis Episcopo Ironsibe 

 Prebendarius Ecclesiae Herefordiee 



Dispositionis Lenis 

 * Rectus in Fide 



Integer Vitae 

 Oppugnator Superstionis Papalis 



Et eommunis Servitutis 

 A persecutione & inhumanitate abhorret 



Hinc religionii ipsi Ornamento 



Animam ejus per acta Musices recreavit 



Hujus Parochiae annos 40 a Rector dignissimus 



Obijt IX Kalendas Aprilis 



Anno Arse Christianee. 



MDCCXXX. 



Aetatis suae 



LXVII. . . 



